Different owners from the Tout Wars expert league will be submitting a guest Fantasy Baseball column to CBSSports.com each week. This week's columnist, Alex Cushing, writes for MLB.com.

This space is usually where "experts" weigh in, where Fantasy owners come searching for insight and direction. So it's only appropriate that I get this out of the way:

I'm no expert.

Sure, I may play the role of expert on the web, writing expert columns, competing in expert leagues, like Tout Wars. I might even throw my expert weight around in public from time to time, snapping my expert fingers at waiters, starting arguments in social settings and shooting down anyone who dares to question my expert authority.

But I'm no expert.

The extent of my Fantasy expertise lies in one area: Making mistakes.

I've made more Fantasy baseball mistakes than I can count. Some were ugly, like betting the farm on highly regarded rookie Ben Grieve in 1998. And some were just unlucky, like owning National League MVP candidate Derrek Lee in 2006, when a broken finger shortened his season to 50 games.

My experience in Tout Wars has been no different. Since coming in as MLB.com's mixed league representative in 2007 (sounds like a UN job), I've made my fair share of slip-ups. Let's take a quick look at the worst Tout Wars mistakes, and what lessons can be drawn from them:

Cutting Corey Hart (Labor Day, 2007)

This is still difficult for me to talk about. I often dream about how differently life would be had I kept Hart last season, had I been there for the month of a lifetime in June (.336 AVG, 9 HR, 21 RBIs, 10 SB). I could have been rich, I could have been famous, I could have been a contender (sorry, couldn't resist that). Instead, impatience got the better of me. Desperately needing an offensive boost, I parted ways with Hart, who, up to that point had fallen well short of expectations (1 HR, 10 RBIs entering June) and was no lock for playing time in Milwaukee's crowded outfield. Just days after being released, Hart embarked on a journey that saw him go from aging prospect to five-tool stud in the span of one month. That is what we call egregiously awful timing. Let the nightmares continue.

Lesson learned: Exercise more patience when it comes to high-upside, five-tool talents like Hart.

Spending more on Travis Hafner ($29) than anyone else (auction day, 2007)

Throwing money away on Hafner is an error I can live with. Monday-morning quarterback all you want, but few, if anyone, saw that massively disappointing return to earth coming in 2007. The real mistake was pinching pennies, settling for a $29 franchise bat instead of shelling out the extra bucks on Hanley Ramirez and Grady Sizemore, who each went somewhere in the $35-$40 range.

Lesson learned: Spend, spend, spend. It's an invaluable lesson, particularly in non-keeper mixed auctions. With so much talent available in the end game, buying your fair share of superstar talent is all the more essential. There's a reason why most owners follow the Stars and Scrubs approach on auction day.

Trading Adam Dunn, Mike Cameron and Jeremy Accardo for Lance Berkman, Shane Victorino and Dave Bush (July 2007)

At first glance, this has all the hallmarks of a well-balanced trade. Berkman provides second-half punch, Bush brings underrated strikeout value, and Victorino offers much-needed speed. Or so I thought. Two weeks later, Victorino landed on the DL and was benched throughout August and September, leaving me scrambling for the unappealing, one-trick pony Michael Bourns of the world.

Lesson learned: It’s bad luck to buy high on players who are in the midst of breakthrough seasons (Victorino)

Spending $11 on Rich Hill (2008 auction)

Wasn't this supposed to be the year Hill came into his own as a 200-strikeout force? All it took was five starts to convince Cubs manager Lou Piniella that the 27-year-old lefty belonged in the minors. I could blame Piniella for impatience, but who would listen? I spent more on Hill than any other starter. Thankfully, my pitching staff was bailed out by John Lackey rounding into form quickly and bargain-bin arms like Ervin Santana, Zack Greinke, Jonathan Sanchez, Randy Wolf and Joe Saunders.

Lesson learned: Don't rely on pitchers with one full season worth of experience, especially as your No. 1 gun.

Spending $13 on Kenji Johjima (2008 auction)

The minute I yelled out $13, I knew I made a mistake on Johjima. It marked a rare moment of impulsive bidding, a classic example of upping the ante without fully entertaining the ramifications of owning the most boringly consistent catcher -- who just so happens to be in the midst of an off year. I should have known better. Such fiscal discipline prevented me from bidding beyond $9 on Geovany Soto, who I wanted all along.

Lesson learned: Don't bid on/draft players unless you're comfortable looking at them every day.

Clearly, you can see why I shun the expert tag.

I suppose the real question is, can someone make tons of mistakes and still be considered an expert? Well, if I can somehow cut the 9 1/2 point deficit keeping me out of first place and ultimately take home the Tout Wars trophy, maybe I'll give this whole expert idea a second chance.

You can e-mail Mr. Schwartz a question or a comment about this column to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put "Attn: Tout Wars" in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.